2020:426 - Area 2: Dardistown and M50 Station, Ballymun, Santry, Dublin

A programme of Advance Targeted Archaeological Test Excavations was carried out at MetroLink Licence Area 2: Dardistown and M50 Station, Ballymun, Santry, Co. Dublin in November 2020. The site is located in the townland of Ballymun, north-east of the M50 Junction 4, east of the R108 road and south of Dublin Airport. The work was carried out on behalf of Transport Infrastructure Ireland as part of the MetroLink programme of archaeological investigations, the results of which informed the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the preferred route.
Prior to this archaeological assessment geophysical surveys were undertaken as a component of advance MetroLink Works, with a portion of the assessment area previously subject to a geophysical survey as a component of MetroLink and old Metro North/Metro West works (Licence 09R0195; 11R0017) that included small portions of both the northern and southern fields (Area 2A and 2B respectively). A more recent geophysical survey by Earthsound Geophysics in September 2020 under licence 18R0196 ext. was carried out within Area 2A and 2B. Area 2A was located to the north of Silloge Green, while area 2B was located to the south of it.
Seven test trenches were excavated in total with a combined length of 206m. All of these were excavated in the north-east corner of Area 2B. No test trenches were excavated in Area 2A or the remaining part of Area 2B as the lands were unavailable. In the north-east corner of Area 2B the advance test excavations targeted an area where Anomalies 1, 2, 3 and 10 were identified during the magnetometer survey corresponding with Anomalies 22 and 23 visible in the resistivity survey. The anomalies targeted were identified in the geophysical survey carried out by Earthsound Geophysics under licence 18R0196 and were interpreted as parts of a possible enclosure.
Four features were identified within the excavated trenches (C3, C4, C5 and C6). C5 is visible as positive anomaly on the greyscale results, it is not numbered however. Features exposed included: a non-archaeological linear feature, C3, possibly representing a furrow; a large pit, C4; a small spread, C6 and a probable kiln, C5. Features exposed were located in Test Trench 1 (C3, C5, C6) and Test Trench 4 (C4).
The potential enclosure identified in the geophysics results appears to be made up of a number of separate curving anomalies including pit C4, a highly magnetised area around the kiln C5 and a number of other smaller linear features. Together they hint at the presence of an oval-shaped enclosure but now that these anomalies are accounted for by other clearly separate features the evidence for an enclosure falls away. Nevertheless the test excavations have indicated that archaeological deposits are present and these will require further mitigation. All samples collected produced charcoal and animal bone. A sample retrieved from the kiln C5 was submitted for identification and RadioCarbon dating. Charcoal retrieved from Environmental Sample No. 1 was identified by Palaeo-environmental specialist Dr Lorna O Donnell as Corylus/Hazel and sent for RadioCarbon dating to Beta Analytic. The sample (C9, from the secondary fill of kiln C5) returned a date of 880 +/- 30BP giving a 2-sigma calibrated date range of 1045-1252 AD (Beta – 588712).

References:
Gimson, H. 2020 Dardistown Depot, Ballymun Td, Surveyed as part of MetroLink, County Dublin - Archaeological Geophysical Survey
Detection Licence No. 18R0196ext. Unpublished report prepared by Earthsound Geophysics for Jacobs Engineering.

Archaeological Consultancy Services Unit, Unit 21, Boyne Business Park, Greenhills, Drogheda, Co Louth